1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus and method for treating obesity, and, in particular, to an apparatus and method for performing a laparoscopic bypass procedure in a digestive system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Morbid obesity affects from about 3% to 5% of the population. The severely obese are at significantly greater risk of premature death, heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, cancer, pulmonary diseases, orthopedic complications and accidents. The obese are also subject to discrimination in society, the workplace, etc.
Several methods for treatment of morbid obesity include diets, pills, and other weight-reducing plans. Mechanical devices for insertion into the stomach, e.g., gastric balloons, to at least partially occupy the stomach have also been utilized. These approaches, however, are generally effective for a limited period of time. In addition, over 95% of those participating in such approaches regain their original weight, and, in many instances, gain additional weight.
Methods for treating obesity proven effective over the long term include surgery to restrict the amount of food consumed at one sitting and to change the digestive process such that less of the food consumed will be absorbed into the body. These procedures are collectively known as Bariatric Surgery and include Gastroplasty, Gastric Banding and Gastric Bypass.
Gastroplasty incorporates separating the stomach into two pouch areas, e.g., an upper pouch and a lower pouch, through stapling. A small opening or stoma is then formed through the row of staples. Thus, the consumed food collects within the upper pouch and passes through the stoma and into the lower pouch at a reduced rate thereby giving a sensation of fullness to the individual to limit the amount of food intake. Disadvantages of this procedure include expansion of the upper pouch and the stoma which thereby minimizes long term effectiveness of this procedure.
In Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG), an upper gastric pouch is formed within the stomach by applying a vertical row of staples. A band (e.g., a Marley mesh) is applied about the stomach adjacent the staple line to prevent dilation of the outlet port extending from the upper pouch into the remaining portion of the stomach. The Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) method, however, is subject to certain disadvantages including problematic post-operative healing, high rate of complications such as wound infection, pulmonary emboli, gastric perforation, gall bladder stones, etc.
Gastric Bypass combines the elements of intestinal rearrangement with a smaller stomach pouch. More particularly, with this procedure, the stomach is divided into an upper pouch and a lower pouch. The upper pouch, which receives the consumed food, is greatly reduced in capacity and is directly connected to the small intestine. However, conventional gastric bypass techniques involve invasive surgical approaches which have a deleterious effect on patient recovery and down time.
In recent years, minimally invasive surgical techniques have been developed to reduce trauma to the patient and minimize recover time. Such minimally invasive procedures include endoscopy, laparoscopy, colonoscopy, etc. and typically require elongated narrow instruments to perform surgery on organs, tissues and vessels far removed from the incision. Laparoscopic procedures are performed in the interior of the abdomen through a small incision, e.g., through a tube or cannula inserted through a small entrance incision in the abdominal cavity. To date, however, satisfactory laparoscopic approaches and instrumentation for a bypass procedure in a digestive system have not been developed.